Yan Ye casually picked up the wooden chair beneath him, raised his arm high, and swung it down hard onto the man’s head.  

He didn’t hold back at all—the chair shattered into pieces upon impact.  

Scarface was dazed, stars exploding in his vision. Before he could even process what had happened, he instinctively reached a hand to the back of his head, only to find it covered in blood.  

Then, the delayed pain came crashing in like a tidal wave. The man clutched his head and rolled on the ground, howling.  

A scumbag like this, a blight on society, had relied on his thick skin and lack of shame to commit countless similar crimes before.  

Besides Xu Xiaoyue this time, there were countless other victims.  

Yan Ye stared coldly at the man curled up on the floor, waiting until he had recovered enough before cracking his knuckles. Slowly, he grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him like a rabid dog.  

Then, he clenched his fist and aimed at the man’s body, treating him like a punching bag—precisely avoiding vital areas, striking blow after blow.  

The man was utterly defenseless against the onslaught.  

He couldn’t understand what was happening today. He’d been in and out of the police station before, but the officers had never dared to lay a hand on him—at most, they’d detain him for a few days.  

Scarface wailed in agony, certain more than once that he was about to die.  

When Yan Ye finally released him, the man dropped like a dead weight, hitting the ground with a loud thud, kicking up a thin layer of dust.  

Now, it seemed Yan Ye had finally vented his fury. His expression softened slightly.  

The man on the floor shrank back, his eyes filled with fear—but even more so with hatred.  

Propping himself up, he glared at Yan Ye and spat through gritted teeth, “This is a police station! How dare you attack a member of the public? I’ll report you—I’ll file a complaint against you!”  

Yan Ye looked down at him, his face as cold and unyielding as ice.  

He let out a mocking laugh, his eyes full of disdain. “Need me to call someone for you?”  

Given his position today, if he couldn’t even handle a lowlife like this, he might as well be useless.  

This piece of trash, drunk on cheap liquor and full of himself, had specifically targeted a woman.  

Not killing him outright was already the result of careful consideration.  

A beating like this was far from enough. For the rest of his miserable life, he would pay for everything he had done.  

As for Xu Xiaoyue—he would never let this sewer rat have another chance to get near her again.  

Yan Ye calmly straightened his loosened collar and walked out.  

Chief Li peeked behind him, forcing an ingratiating smile. “We’ve finished the interrogation. This guy’s a repeat offender.”  

“He’s got a long record. This time, he’ll probably be detained for ten days to half a month.”  

As he spoke, Yan Ye turned and shot him a glance, his thin lips uttering a few icy words: “Once his injuries heal, send him to prison.”  

Chief Li froze for a moment before immediately understanding—Yan Ye wanted this man to become a convict, sentenced to hard labor.  

Thinking of Zhang Dehua, he felt a pang of sympathy and almost spoke up in his defense—but one look at Yan Ye’s dark, oppressive gaze made him swallow his words.  

…

Xu Xiaoyue stood obediently in the corridor outside, the autumn wind blowing against her. She stamped her feet lightly, then couldn’t help but sneeze.  

“Cold?” Yan Ye’s voice came from behind her—she hadn’t even noticed when he’d arrived.  

Before she could answer, he had already taken off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.  

“I thought I had to give a statement?”  

At the mention of Scarface, her voice grew timid. Now that the adrenaline had faded, the fear was catching up to her.  

She still couldn’t believe she had smashed a bowl over that man’s head, leaving a bloody gash.  

Seeing the unease in her eyes, Yan Ye gently pinched her cheek. “No need. You won’t be seeing him again.”  

As he spoke, he looked down at her, his gaze reassuring and so tender it made Xu Xiaoyue’s face burn red.

Before transmigrating into the book, it wasn’t as if no other men had pursued her.  

But they were either her age—and even more immature than she was—or slightly older, spouting paternalistic nonsense while trying to take advantage of her without putting in any real effort.  

Yet Xu Xiaoyue couldn’t even stand simple physical contact, like holding hands, let alone anything more intimate.  

Some had even suggested she see a psychologist, and she had considered it.  

But before she could, she transmigrated into this book—and ended up as the villainess.  

She had thought her aversion to touch might have disappeared after crossing over, but today’s encounter with that disgusting man proved otherwise. It hadn’t lessened at all.  

She still couldn’t stand being touched by others.  

But with Yan Ye… it was different. Back at the clinic, she hadn’t hesitated to bandage his wounds.  

To test it again, she tentatively reached out and lightly brushed her fingers against his cheek.  

It was less of a touch and more of a fleeting graze.  

Yan Ye chuckled softly but didn’t ask why she’d done it. Instead, he silently crouched down slightly so she wouldn’t have to stand on her tiptoes.  

When Xu Xiaoyue looked up and met his smiling eyes, her face burned crimson, and she immediately pulled her hand back.  

She turned away, pressing her palms to her own cheeks, feeling the scorching heat radiating from her skin.  

“Now… can you answer my question?” His low, husky voice seemed to brush against her ear, sending a faint shiver down her spine.  

“What question?” She turned back, confused.  

Yan Ye sighed, his large hand gently ruffling her soft hair.  

He admitted he was being a little impatient.  

“Comrade Xu Xiaoyue, allow me to reintroduce myself properly.”  

“Twenty-seven years old, single, currently serving in the military. No romantic history, no bad habits.”  

“My current monthly salary is twelve hundred yuan, and I can hand all of it over to you.”  

Seeing her flustered expression, he paused before finishing, “I want to develop a relationship with you that goes beyond revolutionary camaraderie.”  

A relationship beyond revolutionary camaraderie…

Xu Xiaoyue froze for a moment before realizing what he meant—and then her face turned even redder.  

“Hmm?”  

When she stayed silent, Yan Ye leaned down slightly to get a better look at her expression.  

Her mind was a mess. So much had happened today, one thing after another, and now this man was confessing so bluntly. She had no idea how to respond.  

“I… I need more time to think,” she finally murmured, so quietly it was almost to herself.  

Luckily, Yan Ye was close enough to hear.  

He exhaled in quiet relief. As long as it wasn’t a rejection, it was fine.  

“Alright, take your time.”  

He didn’t push her. He had already made up his mind—no matter what she decided, he wasn’t letting her go.  

As they walked, the cool breeze against her face slowly brought her back to her senses. She turned to look at him.  

“You told me about yourself… but aren’t you curious about my background?”  

Yan Ye walked on the outer side, shielding her from the wind. At her question, his lips curved slightly.  

“I’ll wait until the day you’re ready to tell me.”  

“Until then, I’ll keep my curiosity in check.”